Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-08

was attentively listened to by all present
The choir then sang Cowan's Lady
Bird" and were obliged to repeat the last
verse.
President Hall then introduced a. w
Edson superintendent of the Jersey City
public schools, who delivered a lecture or
on the Professional Training of Teach
ers.'
MIR. EDSON's LECTURE
Dir. President, Fricnds and C0-WOrkers
IN the GOOd Cause.
My subject is an old one, but it will still
bear much thought. 1t is my purpose to
briefly review the normal work and see
wherein there is chance for improvement.
There must be progress or stagnatiOn.
We are gratitied with the results now OBJ
tanned, but we are not satisfied
Inc time has passed for de-
Tending normal schools. They are
established facts and are open to criti-
clsm. There are two things to consider
IN our inspection; unjust opposition from
their enemies and flaws in their system.
The first Normal school was established
i'll Lexington, Mass, in 1899. and the
number of them has increased more in
the past 10 years than in the previous 40
New England has been selected as the
ground for examination because New
England takes the lead in educational
matters. The speaker gave some Stats
tics showing that the per centage of
teachers who are graduates of Normal
schools is too small. There are several
reasons for this In many cases grad
yates of Normal schools are placed on the
same footing with those vino are not
Again the Normal schools should make
difference i'll the length OF the course
Il
from high schools aud academies Too
much academic work requiring too much
time for preparation il another defect.
Extending course keeps school full, but
the graduating elm SEES are smaller. Sub
ject matter is not legitimate for a normal
school. Practical training is necessary
that teachers may gain some disciplinary
ability and it would be well If the student
could serve an apprenticeship in some
nelghboring school. An outgrOwth of the
normal school is the city training school.
It's object is to supplement the work of the
normal school and not to antagOniZe it,
The time Is coming when candidates for
higher positions in teaching will be re-
qulred to take course beforehand. The
aim of every normal and training school
should be to combine theory and practice.
n normal university will be the growing
uct of the system.
Mr.. +. c. CarrIgan of Boston followed
and made an earnest and eloquent plea
for State recognition of the Importance of
the higher professional training of teach
ing
Mr.. &. |, Aldrich, superintendent of the
Salem, Mass, public schools, then deliv-
cred an address on "Uugraded Schools. "
MR. ALDRICH's REMARKS.
In our ungraded schools we find all
nf
and this fact calls for a combination in the
teacher OF the patience necessary to teach
the youngest class and the tact which is
required in the instruction of the older
minds. The lack of material in our coun-
try schools is another drawback. The
ungraded school from its location feels
least the spirit of progress. The conditions
OF the school will depend too on the ideals
existing III the minds of the teacher.
The average teacher has been influenced
only to slight degree by the progress
which is going on. The care of the
secondary to their own work. They are
not fitted by special duty for the work
they undertake, though they may be as
they usually are, men of more than Or
binary intelligence. The teacher makes
the school and who Is this person3 He is
often only graduate OF the same school,
or who has no aptitude for the work or
who is not refined or who takes up the
work only as make-shift and who CON
sequently can have no interest in it The
general public opinion in regard to the
merits or these ungraded schools shows
no unanimity. Are these schools to grow
on growing poorer or can we find some
way to improve them. We need to
secure as soon rs possible a consensus of
public opinion based on their condition to-
day and not as they We're in the golden
age OF the past to which it is pleasant to
refer In this connection. When we have
that opinion we shall know what to do
There are two ways of Improvement. The
old district system of schools must be
gwen up and the town system introduced
The second way is to get better teachers
and this can be done only by paying more
Thes need some help from a source out
side of themselves. In order to secure
this there must be better supervision
brought about in some way. What may
be expected of a body of such workers ?
They will be closely related to the school
committee, to the teachers and to the pub
lie.
Mr.. G. A. Walton of Massachusetts in a
lew words gave his assent to the address
OF Mr.. Aldrich and expressed the opinion
that a paid supervisor was needed whose
whole duty should be to visit the schools
in the district.
The last speaker of the morning was
Mr.. T. NJ. Ballet, superintendent of the
Reading, Pa, public schools, who deliver
ed an interesting and most able address
on The Feelings and their culture" 1t
was afternool whe the speaker was in
troduced and the three hour session had
become tiresome to so many that not only